Category: Uncategorized

Below are the books I consumed in 2019, the vast majority of which I listened to for free via the Seattle Public Library’s Libby app. I highlighted a few of my favorites in bold.

A couple observations:

I intended to increase my reading of non-white-male authors. I largely failed, as 30 of the 46 books below are by white men. I will make a stronger attempt in 2020 to reverse this.

I was surprised how many non-fiction books were “forgettable” to me. I could not remember the thesis, an anecdote, or a single takeaway from them. I think reading fewer non-fiction books is a worthwhile goal for this next year.

Non-Fiction

Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders
The Experience Economy by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore
The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen
Getting Things Done by David Allen
It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried
Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives by Tim HartfordLoonshots by Safi BahcallDraft No. 4 by John McPhee
Essentialism by Greg McKeownDigital Minimalism by Cal Newport
Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne TrussOwn the Day, Own Your Life by Aubrey Marcus
Antifragile: Things that Gain with Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Superlife by Darin Olien
Payoff by Dan ArielyWired for Love by Stan Tatkin
How to Become CEO by Jeffrey J. Fox
The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman

Every Tool’s a Hammer by Adam Savage
The Third Door by Alex Banayan

Educated by Tara Westover
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout
The Beastie Boys Book by Michael Diamond and Adam HorovitzSalt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat
Autonomy: The Quest to Build the Driverless Cars by Lawrence Burns
No One at the Wheel by Sam SchwartzThe Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
The Algebra of Happiness by by Scott Galloway
The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob IgerGood and Mad by Rebecca Traister

Fiction
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK RowlingHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
The Shadow Over Innsmouth by HP Lovecraft
The Dunwhich Horror by HP Lovecraft
Rise of Cthulhu by HP Lovecraft
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers by Yiyun LiUzumaki by Junji Ito
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Women who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola EstesWhat to Remember when Waking by David WhyteStar Wars: Catalyst by James Lucerno
Star Wars: Lords of the Sith by by Paul S Kemp
Star Wars: A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller

Inspired by the post by Matt Mullenweg earlier this year, I’ve listed the books I read (either on paper, Kindle, or listened to via Audible or the library) in 2018. I did not list books I started but chose not to finish.

I got something out of every book on the list and would recommend any of them. They are listed in roughly the order I finished them last year.

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, by Neil DeGrasse TysonStart with Why, by Simon Sinek
The Four Hour Workweek, by Tim Ferris
Traffic, by Tom Vanderbilt
The Magic of Thinking Big, by David Schwartz
I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
WTF: What’s the Future and Why it’s Up to Us, by Tim O’Reilly
Unf*ck Yourself, by Gary John BishopOn Writing, by Stephen King
11/22/63, by Stephen KingSo Good They Can’t Ignore You, by Cal Newport
Little Bets, by Peter Sims
Purple Cow, by Seth Godin
Coraline, by Niel GaimanThe Inevitable, by Kevin Kelly
300 Arguments, by Sarah Manguso
The Last Wish, by Adrzej Sapkowski
The Blood of Elves, by Adrzej Sapkowski
The Time of Contempt, by Adrzej Sapkowski
Genius Foods, by Max Lugavere
Measure What Matters, by John Doerr
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray BradburyOwn the Day, Own Your Life, by Aubrey Marcus
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
To Sell is Human, by Daniel PinkFluent Forever, by Gabriel Wyner
Quiet, by Susan Cain
Forever Nomad, by Tynan
How the Hippies Saved Physics, by David Kaiser
You are the Placebo, by Joe DispenzaThe Introvert’s Way, by Sophia DemblingFeminism is for Everybody, by Bell Hooks
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by JK RowlingDeep Work, by Cal Newport
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by JK Rowling
The More of Less, by Joshua BeckerThe War of Art, by Steven Pressfield
Quidditch through the Ages, by JK Rowling (Kennilworthy Whisp)
Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them, by JK Rowling (Newt Scamander)Becoming, by Michelle Obama

On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed in New York City, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania, in the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. It was a senseless act of violence.

On September 12, 2001, 100 more people were killed at dozens of locations around the United States. On September 13th, 100 more died, and another 100 each day for the rest of the year. By the end of 2001 more than 42,000 people were killed in roadway crashes in this country.

Over the last 15 years, more than 500,000 people – one half million people – were killed on our nation’s roadways.

Each was a senseless act of violence. Each was tragic. Each was preventable.

Fast forward to today. The tragedies we continue to see on TV and online – especially for children and young adults – stem from gun violence, drug abuse, or terrorism. But the number one killer of our young people is not the opioid crisis or an AR-15 rifle. The single biggest killer in the United States for 16-to-24-year olds is a roadway crash. A boring, run-off-the-road, hit-a-tree, or texting-while-driving collision.

But what if I told you that this problem has already been solved? That we have the research, the technology, and a path to implementation to eradicate roadway deaths forever?

I have spent the past 20 years learning all aspects of roadway safety. I have reviewed tens of millions of crash data records, searching for the most common reasons for these tragedies. I have spoken with police officers who visit crash scenes so I could learn what they look for. I have spent time driving and walking through a crash scene, envisioning it from each perspective of road users, seeing what they see, smelling what they smell. I have sat through legislative debates to add new laws, revoke old laws, and everything in between. Traffic safety is a complex topic because it is so much about us – more than the vehicles or the concrete or steel that make up the system – and we are complicated.

I am convinced that most solutions are already here to address our biggest road safety problems. We only need the internal fortitude, the moral compass, and the strength of conviction to apply the tools at our disposal. I have identified four specific solutions – each tested and proven to reduce traffic crashes – that if fully applied could easily cut U.S. roadway fatalities in half.

Solution #1: Ignition Interlock for Alcohol and Seat Belts
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each year more than 10,000 traffic fatalities occur in crashes with an alcohol-impaired driver. There is a device called ignition interlock that requires a driver to blow into a breathalyzer and receive a 0.0 Blood Alcohol Content for the car to start. It’s an amazing technology with a $150 price tag. Installing ignition interlock in every new vehicle could result in virtually eliminating alcohol-involved crashes.

The interlock technology could be expanded to include seat belt use as well. Nearly half of those killed in traffic crashes (48 percent) are NOT wearing a seat belt. It is freely available in every vehicle manufactured, and in most states, it is illegal to not wear it. But what if the car would not start until everyone was buckled in? How many lives could we save?

Solution #2: Speed Reduction
More than 10,000 traffic deaths each year result from excessive speed. Nearly 100 percent of car commercials in United States include excessive speed. We build vehicles capable of traveling well over 100 miles per hour, but there is not one speed limit posted in the U.S. higher than 80 mph. And crashes at these speeds often result in fatalities.

The technology to solve this problem is simple. Speed limit enforcement cameras, coupled with zero-tolerance policies, have been highly successful in many countries in the world. For many years long-haul freight companies have regulated fleet speeds, governing their truck velocities for fuel conservation and safety. Should we consider a governor for passenger cars and motorcycles as well?

The culture change to solve this problem is much more difficult. Speeding is the most socially acceptable violation on the road, and for some reason forcing drivers to obey this law still feels like a ridiculous idea.

Solution #3: Active Transportation
An elegant solution many have chosen is to reduce their reliance on cars or forego driving altogether. I bus to and from my home to work, and my kids do the same to their school. It is becoming easier and easier to navigate without a car, and we find that without a 3,000-pound motor vehicle involved, the remaining crashes among 150-pound pedestrians and 30-pound bicycles rarely result in serious injuries or death.

In some parts of the country this decision is not as easy, as the lack of facilities and more extreme climates makes active transportation less convenient. In addition, most Americans have been pumped full of car-culture since birth. Recalibration takes time.

Solution #4: Connected and Automated Mobility
Of course, many of these human-centered problems could go away once the robots are driving. Not long after cars were invented, scientists were envisioning how to automate them. Vehicles connected to the roadway and each other have used the street as their laboratory since the mid-1990s, and now, with hundreds of millions of miles and decades of experience under our belt, highly-automated vehicles are a reality.

Like active transportation, it will take time for drivers to give a connected/automated vehicle full control of navigation. As late as 2017, more than half of those surveyed did not want to ride in a driverless vehicle, even if it is deemed safer. Of those who said no, 72 percent do not trust automated vehicles and have safety concerns about the technology.

Objectively, connected/automated vehicles have proven to be as safe or safer than human drivers, not suffering from our bodily limitations like drowsiness, inattention, fatigue, or impairment from drugs and alcohol. Connected/automated vehicles can see for miles all around them, not just in front, and they can respond near-instantaneously without the limitation of human reaction time. Research continues to push the technology forward, and experts estimate incredible safety benefits in the next few years.

The science of traffic safety has solved the problem. Now it is up to us to apply these methods to save lives.

By Brian Chandler: I have a long history with FAFSA, starting with the pen-and-paper versions of the 1990s. FAFSA ’93 was obtuse, challenging, and rewarding in a way that only government forms can capture. FAFSA 19 maintains the charm of bureaucracy while adding some quality-of-life enhancements.

FAFSA 19’s primary new feature is Story Mode, where a prospective university student navigates the world of federal aid funding. Your character grows from a young high school kid to college student, following a traditional path. You can choose a male or female hero, a home city, and up to 10 prospective schools. Customization options are inconsistent. You can add social security number and date of birth, but not hair color or tattoos. Maybe next year.

I reviewed on PC, but I’ve heard reports that FAFSA 19 will soon be made available on iOS and Android. No plans for Nintendo Switch, but the mobile versions will support cross-play and cross-progression with PC – a big step up for the franchise.

Gameplay is standard fare – tabbing through forms, typing information, some basic math-based puzzles. It’s what we’ve come to expect from FAFSA each year, and this edition doesn’t stray much from the formula. Its simplicity is its charm, though a couple areas required some head scratching. Coop mode lets the student bring in a “custodial parent” to provide additional financial information.

Save points are frequent and welcome, as I sometimes needed to refer to out-of-game resources for the trickiest puzzles.

The most useful features require additional sign-up through a separate service (similar to EA’s Origin or Ubisoft’s Uplay). Players can earn “Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID Status” to access additional game enhancements like direct import of tax returns and electronic signatures.

In the end, FAFSA 19 delivers a solid, if inconsistent, gameplay experience.

In 1986, Firebird Software developed Mad Nurse, a video game for the Commodore 64. The premise of the game was simple: You are a nurse in a multilevel nursery, and your job is to keep the infants safe. Your charge – put the babies in the crib – is easy enough. But the perils are endless, including knives, poison, toilet bowls to climb into, and an elevator shaft. As the levels become more and more difficult, the end result of Mad Nurse is disastrous.

The historic spot location approach to address traffic fatalities has similarities to Mad Nurse. We identify locations of recent severe crashes, “fix them,” and then move on to the next location.

And the next.

The situation gets worse over time as road users make poor choices more often. The results can be a group of exhausted traffic safety engineers and little change to the overall number of roadway fatalities.

Systemic safety solutions flip the script, focusing on predictable crash types instead of random individual locations, which has proven time and time again to reduce the number and severity of crashes.

I’ve promoted systemic safety for more than a decade now, and since that time it has been picked up by State and local agencies and the Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety, who has done a nice job promoting a risk-based systemic approach in recent years. For more information, check out FHWA’s Systemic Approach to Safety website.

In my final official experiment of 2017, I went a little crazy. I pulled out all the stops! Threw caution to the wind!

I took an exam!

I decided early this year to attempt Project Management Professional (PMP) certification through the Project Management Institute, which requires a bunch of training hours and a 4-hour test. My studying was going slower-than-desired, so I folded it into an experiment to accelerate the process. For 2 weeks I immersed myself deep into project management and test prep.

Podcasts. I replaced my normal queue with as many PMP-related podcasts as I could find. I landed on these three, continuing to listen to them well after the experiment.

The Dip. After the initial excitement the first few days, I struggled to keep my energy up for continued studying. One day I completed four 1-hour study sessions. Brain fried and drooling a little, I fell into the waiting arms of Parks & Rec.

I was still behind the pace of the group, but gaining steadily. (And crying, again, over Li’l Sebastian.)

The Experiment Pays Off. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

Before this experiment I was well behind pace on these employer-provided study sessions. After diving in the first week, I was selected as a “Top 25 Performer” in our company’s PMP prep class. This afforded me an opportunity for additional training reserved for the “top students” (cough, cough).

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

All’s Well that Ends Well: Eventually I completed the application process, scheduled the 4-hour-running-clock exam, and passed it (all while peeing twice and eating a snack – take that, running clock). Now I can call myself a PMP into infinity (well, as long as I pay annual dues) and live happily ever after.

For this experiment I spent 2 weeks learning how much money I wasted buying literally nothing.

Paperless Statements + Auto Pay. Years ago I embraced the “conveniences” of automatic bill payment and paperless statements for most bills. In other words, I stopped paying attention. It dawned on me that maybe that was a bad idea, so I started reading.

We paid more for the last 573 KWH than the first 944. So reducing just a little will go a long way.

Light Bulbs: “Kill the Kilowatts” started with replacing some incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents and LEDs. And over the summer I realized we get about 22 hours of daylight, we opened the blinds. Free lights!

Trash Collection: At our house garbage rates increase by bin size. We’d been paying $34/month for our half-filled 32-gallon trash can. By changing to an 18-gallon container for $26/month, we’ll save $96 in the next year by DOING NOTHING DIFFERENT!

Water In, Water Out:Complaint of the day: I don’ t like paying for water twice – first out of the faucet, and then down the drain. What if we could reduce one or both? Could “pasta water” be dumped outside – or water the flowers? What if we composted more and used the garbage disposal less? How many weeks days can I wear jeans before washing? How important is flushing, really?

Dog Food: We’ve been proudly serving our dogs two different “5-star” foods. Then I learned a dirty little secret: Big dogs and little dogs can eat the same food because it’s literally the same food. Switching to one shared bag, and reducing from “5-star” to “4.5-star” food (don’t tell the neighbors), we’ll save $200 in the next year.

Too Much Data: I discovered we had been using 7 GB of a 15 GB cell phone shared data plan. I was flabbergasted that AT&T didn’t tell us we were buying data we don’t need! By reducing our plan from 15 GB to 10 GB, we will save $10/month by DOING NOTHING DIFFERENT.

Just a Little Patience: I found a door-mounted pull up bar on Amazon and put it in my shopping cart. While deciding whether to purchase, the same item popped up in our neighborhood giveaway group! It pays to procrastinate.

Final Tally. By identifying a few hidden costs, we are set to save more than $600 in the next 12 months on those things that required little-to-no change. I spent roughly 2 hours of combined research, paperwork, etc., to make it happen.